1 00:00:00,13 --> 00:00:03,86 A chilly reception for the plowing response to the first major deep freeze of the 2 00:00:03,87 --> 00:00:08,16 year an update to police training following the Red Arrow park shooting in April 3 00:00:08,37 --> 00:00:12,59 and more council members jump on board with the walking street car plan this is 4 00:00:12,60 --> 00:00:14,82 council rewind and I'm Dustin Weis. 5 00:00:35,68 --> 00:00:39,56 Supporters of the four point six mile starter streetcar line from the Lower East 6 00:00:39,57 --> 00:00:42,80 Side through downtown appear to have picked up some additional backing on the 7 00:00:42,81 --> 00:00:46,02 council but the opposition to the plan is still able to push 8 00:00:46,03 --> 00:00:50,04 a final vote on the project back to February tenth later in the program 9 00:00:50,08 --> 00:00:54,32 a recap of the latest Council debate and what might be next for the walkies three 10 00:00:54,33 --> 00:00:58,57 car but first the start of twenty fifteen has been the kind that makes you want to 11 00:00:58,58 --> 00:01:02,61 think about moving to Florida but take my word on it that ain't worth it not only 12 00:01:02,62 --> 00:01:06,78 did the bitter cold temps called the mind thoughts of the so-called polar vortex 13 00:01:06,99 --> 00:01:10,29 parts of the city did not have the snow and ice cleared in the manner to which they 14 00:01:10,30 --> 00:01:14,39 were accustomed on January seventh the Public Works Committee called on department 15 00:01:14,40 --> 00:01:19,42 heads to explain the results of the new plowing policy ref to bet I want to agree 16 00:01:19,43 --> 00:01:25,25 right away with. Them bull I saw what he saw I typically see what you what you 17 00:01:25,26 --> 00:01:27,92 typically see beforehand because I'm out on 18 00:01:27,93 --> 00:01:32,81 a boat before rush hour to see what the conditions look like because of personal 19 00:01:32,82 --> 00:01:35,85 reasons for some reasons. I did not get 20 00:01:35,86 --> 00:01:40,02 a chance to do that but I did go out and see the driver drove the streets that you 21 00:01:40,03 --> 00:01:45,33 pointed out and one hundred percent in agreement that the performance was very very 22 00:01:45,34 --> 00:01:52,15 poor but I do want only the conservations should that was predicated on the 23 00:01:52,16 --> 00:01:56,24 fact that we had it we saw a were sold 24 00:01:56,52 --> 00:02:03,41 a months when gold rapidly last year. Of the horrible went to that we had we 25 00:02:03,42 --> 00:02:04,04 purchased 26 00:02:04,08 --> 00:02:08,72 a lot more salt and we have an impasse and we enjoyed the fact that we had 27 00:02:08,73 --> 00:02:15,22 a very good contract. With our supplier and the price was were very 28 00:02:15,23 --> 00:02:20,28 good and. But that opened our eyes to defect that. 29 00:02:21,79 --> 00:02:25,87 Salt and sand mix could also be 30 00:02:26,28 --> 00:02:32,56 a useful and effective met means to combat it and still so we 31 00:02:32,60 --> 00:02:37,80 experimented with that last year as you may know on toward the end of the season 32 00:02:38,03 --> 00:02:39,25 successfully M.A.M. 33 00:02:39,26 --> 00:02:45,99 It and cause us to rethink of the use of and the amount of salt we use 34 00:02:46,39 --> 00:02:53,15 and why we don't use hand as I know them enough. A component to battle 35 00:02:53,16 --> 00:02:57,33 still the the current level of sole source where we compare to 36 00:02:57,37 --> 00:03:03,67 a typical average year are we lower than what we normally have just are we where we 37 00:03:03,82 --> 00:03:07,01 typically are where you feel we have sufficient we're just looking at 38 00:03:07,02 --> 00:03:09,30 a change in purity Well it's 39 00:03:09,31 --> 00:03:15,83 a combination of both we this year we started with lesser amount of salt then years 40 00:03:15,84 --> 00:03:19,81 previous what happened is every year we we have 41 00:03:19,82 --> 00:03:25,89 a contract. That is negotiated on annual basis meaning there's some adjustment to 42 00:03:25,90 --> 00:03:32,18 the cost and agreed to amount of salt that we are committed to. In the name of the 43 00:03:32,19 --> 00:03:38,39 city well because of the unusual conditions last year 44 00:03:38,74 --> 00:03:45,50 and the. Limited supply and shortage of salt when we said down 45 00:03:45,51 --> 00:03:52,17 with our supplier to negotiate this year's contract why was very evident that 46 00:03:52,54 --> 00:03:55,40 they were we were negotiating from 47 00:03:55,41 --> 00:04:01,70 a weaker position one they were ready to walk away from the then they had the 48 00:04:01,71 --> 00:04:06,79 option to walk away from the contract and leaving us basically out in the cold I 49 00:04:06,80 --> 00:04:13,52 mean no pun intended with with us looking for another source so we said down there 50 00:04:13,53 --> 00:04:16,60 recognizing that fact we believe we arrived at 51 00:04:16,61 --> 00:04:22,84 a very very good outcome and all things considered but we ended up with 52 00:04:22,85 --> 00:04:28,32 a lesser amount of salt and I don't have the exact number what about less about ten 53 00:04:28,33 --> 00:04:33,51 thousand tons less than what we asked for I would desired and they just wouldn't 54 00:04:33,55 --> 00:04:40,20 wouldn't provide it as them and also. The contract itself 55 00:04:40,86 --> 00:04:41,73 allowed for 56 00:04:41,77 --> 00:04:48,29 a an adjustment up to think twenty five thousand but the cost itself up to but five 57 00:04:48,30 --> 00:04:53,38 percent adjustment they also did not want to warrant guaranteed that either and the 58 00:04:53,40 --> 00:04:59,70 US for another bigger adjustment if we wanted to be more in control of our. Salt 59 00:04:59,71 --> 00:05:05,04 capacity so we started with a conservation mode using less salt or event as 60 00:05:05,05 --> 00:05:10,81 a matter of fact this past event if we were using the older we would have probably 61 00:05:10,82 --> 00:05:17,78 put thousand to twelve hundred tons of salt on residential streets alone I can tell 62 00:05:17,79 --> 00:05:24,63 you that we did not do that. Because of the conservation policy and all our 63 00:05:24,64 --> 00:05:30,41 residential streets that I'm aware of based on intel that I have received are 64 00:05:30,42 --> 00:05:35,07 passable Yeah it's packs known but they're passable and they're drivable so that's 65 00:05:35,08 --> 00:05:36,05 the expectations 66 00:05:36,26 --> 00:05:42,91 a year ago you would have had bare. Pavement probably looked white because of the 67 00:05:42,92 --> 00:05:49,73 salt not because of the snow now it's the other way around so. Our Shot 68 00:05:49,74 --> 00:05:53,30 is based on the fact we want to be more prudent we want to be more interested in 69 00:05:53,31 --> 00:06:00,05 control so we don't get to you know the end of the year next year this year 70 00:06:00,05 --> 00:06:03,46 rather and be facing an amount of I mean 71 00:06:03,47 --> 00:06:08,05 a shortage in salt and then I'm sitting here explaining why I would run off salt is 72 00:06:08,07 --> 00:06:08,96 there are available a T. 73 00:06:08,96 --> 00:06:12,61 Of salt stores out there I realize you get it later there's probably higher prices 74 00:06:12,62 --> 00:06:19,57 or is at this point. Is that availability basically diminished if we want salt to 75 00:06:19,59 --> 00:06:26,38 day we can get more salt. The variable devalue Bill here is the cost we were 76 00:06:26,42 --> 00:06:29,44 we were we're paying roughly about fifty five dollars 77 00:06:29,45 --> 00:06:35,99 a tonne the off we were offered additional amount of salt whether it was from this 78 00:06:35,100 --> 00:06:41,42 vendor our current vendor or other vendors in excess of five hundred twenty dollars 79 00:06:41,43 --> 00:06:47,89 a ton or twenty dollars yes sometimes more. Again you know it's 80 00:06:47,90 --> 00:06:54,74 a balancing act we feel that we have enough salt to get by effectively 81 00:06:54,75 --> 00:07:01,61 if we continue with our current new. Conservation policy now I have to tell you 82 00:07:01,62 --> 00:07:08,12 that some lessons that we're learning as we go unfortunately we need events 83 00:07:08,96 --> 00:07:13,76 I hate to use the word experiment but to try these methods and then week and we 84 00:07:13,77 --> 00:07:19,29 tweak some things joining and event but also you know from one event to the next I 85 00:07:19,30 --> 00:07:26,01 mean we've already said assessed and evaluated. The way by which we implemented. 86 00:07:27,78 --> 00:07:34,11 To it two days ago and we already are looking at tweaking what we've done in order 87 00:07:34,12 --> 00:07:38,62 to be more effective but not using more salt D.P.W. 88 00:07:38,63 --> 00:07:42,06 To report was placed on file and six council members have since signed 89 00:07:42,07 --> 00:07:48,09 a letter expressing concerns with the new policy. The police shooting and death of 90 00:07:48,10 --> 00:07:52,13 thirty one year old entre Hamilton and right Errol Park last year continues to have 91 00:07:52,14 --> 00:07:56,31 far reaching consequences in December the district attorney ruled that Officer 92 00:07:56,32 --> 00:08:00,18 Christopher man he shot Hamilton in self-defense after the mentally ill man took 93 00:08:00,19 --> 00:08:04,79 the officer's baton from him and attacked while the police chief agreed he also 94 00:08:04,80 --> 00:08:08,92 dismissed officer Manny for failing to follow Department procedures in the moments 95 00:08:08,93 --> 00:08:11,77 leading up to the confrontation protesters had been 96 00:08:11,78 --> 00:08:14,98 a frequent sight throughout the city expressing their disappointment that the 97 00:08:15,31 --> 00:08:20,06 decision and city officials have decided to require all police officers to receive 98 00:08:20,07 --> 00:08:24,18 critical incident training for dealing with the mentally ill police leadership 99 00:08:24,19 --> 00:08:28,83 joined the Public Safety Committee on January eighth to explain in detail. Our 100 00:08:28,84 --> 00:08:34,15 members receive initial and in service and specialized training in crisis 101 00:08:34,16 --> 00:08:39,02 management and assisting people with mental illness assertions that our officers do 102 00:08:39,03 --> 00:08:44,40 not receive any training are misinformed now we're going to accelerate our C.I.T. 103 00:08:44,41 --> 00:08:49,86 Training all new recruits will extend the academy by another forty hours and 104 00:08:49,87 --> 00:08:51,60 receive the CIA trained C.I.T. 105 00:08:51,61 --> 00:08:57,63 Training as part of their recruit training and by the end of twenty seventeen we 106 00:08:57,64 --> 00:09:02,31 believe all police officers will have received the full forty hour C.I. 107 00:09:02,32 --> 00:09:08,52 T curriculum all of our sworn staff will receive additional in-service training 108 00:09:08,85 --> 00:09:12,95 during two thousand and fifteen everybody's going to get sixteen hours and 109 00:09:12,96 --> 00:09:18,19 communication skills that's derived directly from the full forty hour course but 110 00:09:18,20 --> 00:09:21,50 they're going to get the essential things that they need without the field trips 111 00:09:21,91 --> 00:09:27,38 and the external lectures but they are going to get crisis management skills and 112 00:09:27,39 --> 00:09:32,86 communication skills. Id happy to come back under 113 00:09:32,87 --> 00:09:38,40 a separate communication file to discuss the department's commitment to and it's 114 00:09:38,41 --> 00:09:43,90 national recognition for his community based problem oriented in data driven 115 00:09:43,91 --> 00:09:46,91 policing there's an awful lot of misinformation 116 00:09:46,92 --> 00:09:53,18 a misunderstanding about why the police do what they do and where we do it. It's 117 00:09:53,19 --> 00:09:53,34 not 118 00:09:53,35 --> 00:09:58,92 a binary world it's not just good versus bad put it's not just good versus bad policing 119 00:09:59,43 --> 00:10:04,76 the social issues we're dealing with are not only manifested in our work and the 120 00:10:04,77 --> 00:10:10,08 outcomes of policing we need to have thoughtful open pragmatic conversations about 121 00:10:10,09 --> 00:10:13,84 these topics ideology would get us there starting from 122 00:10:13,85 --> 00:10:19,66 a point of distrust and cynicism won't get us there or all in this together cities 123 00:10:19,67 --> 00:10:24,84 pretty much on its own cursory look at the incoming Congress and the incoming state 124 00:10:24,85 --> 00:10:28,04 legislature doesn't indicate either place has 125 00:10:28,05 --> 00:10:34,79 a deep concern about urban issues. We are all challenged to do our best with what 126 00:10:34,80 --> 00:10:41,65 we have and do our best to reinforce the police community partnerships we have 127 00:10:41,66 --> 00:10:45,85 worked so hard to build a base assumption of goodwill will be 128 00:10:45,86 --> 00:10:48,11 a sound place to start to see the full C.I.T. 129 00:10:48,12 --> 00:10:49,71 Training is forty hours to be 130 00:10:49,72 --> 00:10:53,99 a Monday through Friday eight to four training curriculum the microphones are all 131 00:10:54,00 --> 00:11:00,57 that and we are going to do six classes and twenty fifteen 132 00:11:00,68 --> 00:11:04,18 and the new recruit class of seven classes all together six classes of veteran 133 00:11:04,19 --> 00:11:10,41 officers and then at the additional class with the new recruit class in May We also 134 00:11:10,42 --> 00:11:15,13 are starting on January nineteenth going through the middle of May The sixteen hour 135 00:11:15,14 --> 00:11:17,31 course so that will be four days 136 00:11:17,32 --> 00:11:21,62 a week Monday and Tuesday and then Thursday and Friday in which officers will come 137 00:11:21,63 --> 00:11:25,75 for two days and get crisis management training for first responders and that is 138 00:11:25,76 --> 00:11:30,60 a shortened version of the CIA to training since it will take us all the way until 139 00:11:30,61 --> 00:11:33,22 twenty seventeen to do the full C.I.T. 140 00:11:33,23 --> 00:11:36,27 We thought it was still really important to do the sixteen hours so everybody 141 00:11:36,47 --> 00:11:40,70 within the first six months of this year will get something and then all police 142 00:11:40,71 --> 00:11:43,79 officers by the end of twenty seventeen will have the full C.I.T. 143 00:11:44,02 --> 00:11:48,03 And they're hoping all sworn personnel by the end of two thousand and eighteen I 144 00:11:48,04 --> 00:11:54,27 wish take up nationally to handle on that I read an article in Governing magazine 145 00:11:54,28 --> 00:11:59,49 that there are very few departments in the nation that have the that there's been 146 00:11:59,50 --> 00:12:05,18 one that has been the front runner as Dunder told communicators dispatchers police 147 00:12:05,19 --> 00:12:06,40 officers that's 148 00:12:06,41 --> 00:12:11,60 a good point to make him Mr Chairman the. Certainly we embrace the opportunity to 149 00:12:11,61 --> 00:12:11,71 be 150 00:12:11,72 --> 00:12:16,40 a national leader we have been in many other areas as well but you would think reading 151 00:12:16,41 --> 00:12:20,36 a lot of the coverage of this that we have somehow been derelict compared to the 152 00:12:20,37 --> 00:12:26,45 major cities of America is indicated already every recruit got basic training on 153 00:12:26,46 --> 00:12:31,31 mental health issues every officer got some level of basic training in dealing with 154 00:12:31,32 --> 00:12:35,34 the mentally ill no our entire police department wasn't trained in crisis 155 00:12:35,35 --> 00:12:39,66 intervention training only one department in the country is and they started in one 156 00:12:39,67 --> 00:12:41,55 nine hundred eighty nine now we're on 157 00:12:41,56 --> 00:12:45,14 a remarkably accelerated pace to try to get eight hundred people through 158 00:12:45,15 --> 00:12:51,94 a forty hour course in two years at the end of the day and. How 159 00:12:51,95 --> 00:12:58,66 often we going to indicate to rank and file that this crisis 160 00:12:58,67 --> 00:13:03,74 intervention team is probably the best practice to call when you're engaging folks 161 00:13:03,89 --> 00:13:10,12 with mental illness so we don't make that judgment call that could be. 162 00:13:11,85 --> 00:13:18,09 Something that they have to make as far as. Deadly force 163 00:13:18,57 --> 00:13:24,54 because the elements of the mill to illness may escalate into something that may 164 00:13:24,55 --> 00:13:29,58 not be able to be with before the inspector answers as you would like to again 165 00:13:29,59 --> 00:13:32,79 provide some context on the last year we measured 166 00:13:32,80 --> 00:13:36,90 a full year's worth of calls two thousand and thirteen we had over eight thousand 167 00:13:36,91 --> 00:13:42,76 calls for people in mental health crisis we took almost six thousand people to the 168 00:13:42,77 --> 00:13:45,95 county mental health facility for evaluation there were nights of the week when 169 00:13:45,96 --> 00:13:49,66 there were three four and five cruisers up there with mentally ill people in the 170 00:13:49,67 --> 00:13:50,94 back seat who were in 171 00:13:50,95 --> 00:13:54,97 a crisis and there was no place to take them you know in two thousand and thirteen 172 00:13:55,46 --> 00:14:01,12 we had four deadly force incidents three of them involved mentally ill armed people 173 00:14:01,32 --> 00:14:02,14 engaged in 174 00:14:02,15 --> 00:14:08,08 a violent crime the underlying issue was mental illness the behavior was aggressive 175 00:14:08,09 --> 00:14:12,66 violent and threatening. Third parties not just the police and I believe in one of 176 00:14:12,67 --> 00:14:14,30 those cases a C.I.T. 177 00:14:14,31 --> 00:14:17,34 Officer had to use the deadly force was just 178 00:14:17,35 --> 00:14:21,34 a year ago I think Houston for all its famous nys had to kill 179 00:14:21,35 --> 00:14:23,66 a mentally ill person who was armed in 180 00:14:23,67 --> 00:14:27,77 a public place and gaging in an act of violence so I don't want to set an 181 00:14:27,78 --> 00:14:32,62 expectation that despite our best efforts to train people in crisis communication 182 00:14:32,63 --> 00:14:34,33 skills we can prevent 183 00:14:34,47 --> 00:14:38,60 a tragic outcome they're still going to happen I think it was just the day before 184 00:14:38,61 --> 00:14:40,17 yesterday in San Francisco 185 00:14:40,56 --> 00:14:44,70 a mentally ill armed man challenge the police was killed when they took his cell 186 00:14:44,71 --> 00:14:48,20 phone off his body it says I'm sorry but I didn't have the nerve to kill myself. 187 00:14:49,33 --> 00:14:53,85 And so these are real issues out there they will exist despite the fact that over 188 00:14:53,86 --> 00:14:57,57 the next two years we're going to be seeing to it that we've got as many people 189 00:14:57,58 --> 00:14:58,17 a C.I.T. 190 00:14:58,18 --> 00:15:02,67 Train is possible that many of them will have you know Tasers to try to have 191 00:15:02,68 --> 00:15:06,49 a lower level of force and I don't doubt that many of them will end up with body 192 00:15:06,50 --> 00:15:09,89 cameras as well but if you do touch on it a little bit 193 00:15:10,20 --> 00:15:15,43 a question I was going to ask is what impact all this training is going to have. To 194 00:15:15,44 --> 00:15:22,15 circumvent any type of confrontation with mentally ill patients is there any stats 195 00:15:22,16 --> 00:15:28,78 from Houston or Memphis there once they. Did all this training that interaction 196 00:15:28,79 --> 00:15:34,56 with mentally ill patients didn't have as much conflict with them do we do we know 197 00:15:34,57 --> 00:15:39,78 that by chance or not yes actually that's one of the. Advantages to C.I.T. 198 00:15:39,79 --> 00:15:44,51 Training is that after you've trained your officers there are lower incidence of 199 00:15:44,78 --> 00:15:49,68 injury to mental health consumers and to police officers and Memphis has statistics 200 00:15:49,69 --> 00:15:52,73 on that and that's one of the one of the reasons why so many departments having 201 00:15:52,74 --> 00:15:58,89 gauged in the CIA training because it does it does reduce some of those violent con 202 00:15:58,95 --> 00:16:02,91 conflicts that can occur because the officers have learned how to deescalate and 203 00:16:02,92 --> 00:16:04,17 how to take 204 00:16:04,18 --> 00:16:09,26 a different approach is great to hear the Jessamy and what is being done about 205 00:16:09,27 --> 00:16:11,74 a police department for this C.R.T. 206 00:16:11,75 --> 00:16:18,31 Training expressed only last time. Because of the method that we were using. 207 00:16:19,54 --> 00:16:21,39 That as on a Monday we said 208 00:16:21,40 --> 00:16:25,79 a situations occur is for us to look at them and decide for our future what things 209 00:16:25,80 --> 00:16:29,57 can be done to help prevent this in the future and if there is anything we can do 210 00:16:29,58 --> 00:16:29,73 as 211 00:16:29,74 --> 00:16:34,68 a city the NASA we should be doing so it is great to see that happening because. The 212 00:16:34,69 --> 00:16:38,67 same here and in my mind I was laughing because I remember when we heard this last 213 00:16:38,68 --> 00:16:42,50 I was actually on the committee substitute for someone and I think it was autumn in 214 00:16:42,51 --> 00:16:48,43 does it say it because it was voluntary before then maybe it should be more than 215 00:16:48,44 --> 00:16:52,09 just moments. Or maybe everybody should have it and the suggestion was given that 216 00:16:52,24 --> 00:16:56,37 because the way other cities typically is seen is best practice is to do it as only 217 00:16:56,38 --> 00:17:00,15 balance here and I think what I mean does it who say well if some officers don't 218 00:17:00,16 --> 00:17:04,28 want to do it then maybe they don't need to be officers or whatever so it's really 219 00:17:04,55 --> 00:17:09,87 great to see that we are moving forward to the direction of having armed officers 220 00:17:09,88 --> 00:17:12,81 trying because although it is not a perfect P.O. 221 00:17:13,68 --> 00:17:20,46 If we can help to prevent injuries to officers and to the mentally ill. Then it's 222 00:17:20,47 --> 00:17:25,09 something that we definitely at least need to try it's great to see that you can 223 00:17:25,10 --> 00:17:29,50 review Milwaukee police operating procedures unfold at Milwaukee dot gov It's life 224 00:17:29,51 --> 00:17:33,31 believes. The debate over 225 00:17:33,32 --> 00:17:37,07 a one hundred twenty four million dollars streetcar line in downtown Milwaukee is 226 00:17:37,08 --> 00:17:38,41 coming to a head with 227 00:17:38,42 --> 00:17:41,54 a final common council decision on whether to go ahead with the route from the 228 00:17:41,55 --> 00:17:46,47 Lower East Side to the Intermodal train and bus depot is set for February tenth the 229 00:17:46,48 --> 00:17:49,97 minority of council members who oppose the streetcar already use procedural 230 00:17:49,98 --> 00:17:54,09 maneuvering to delay the project once while they try to collect enough signatures 231 00:17:54,10 --> 00:17:54,43 to force 232 00:17:54,44 --> 00:17:59,42 a referendum on the topic it came before the council again on January twenty first 233 00:17:59,73 --> 00:18:03,23 and I really want to applaud the work that's gone on the department of city 234 00:18:03,24 --> 00:18:06,69 development the Department of Public Works and the work that they've done in 235 00:18:06,70 --> 00:18:09,08 particular was all of the Chile companies to make this 236 00:18:09,09 --> 00:18:15,51 a reality because once this happens we will have to be funded by the new 237 00:18:15,52 --> 00:18:19,61 development that it helps inspire Now am I claiming that the only reason people 238 00:18:19,62 --> 00:18:23,75 want to locate don't town beat up business or young professionals is the only 239 00:18:23,76 --> 00:18:26,98 reason they might want to locate downtown. Because 240 00:18:26,99 --> 00:18:30,64 a street car of course not if we only build 241 00:18:30,65 --> 00:18:35,15 a street car or do nothing else will that be the magic silver bullet that 242 00:18:35,64 --> 00:18:39,28 drastically improve the tax base know it needs to be done in concert with other 243 00:18:39,29 --> 00:18:42,90 smart decisions just like with the Menominee Valley there is record of that 244 00:18:42,91 --> 00:18:47,24 infrastructure that we put down in there that wasn't all we did we worked very 245 00:18:47,25 --> 00:18:51,84 closely with recruiting recruiting businesses to those areas we had to change 246 00:18:52,11 --> 00:18:55,67 zoning we had to be in some cases be flexible with zoning depending on what 247 00:18:55,68 --> 00:18:57,60 business is proposed There's 248 00:18:57,61 --> 00:19:01,49 a whole range of things the city has to do right not the least of which in fact the 249 00:19:01,50 --> 00:19:04,74 most important thing is having a safe city having 250 00:19:04,75 --> 00:19:08,76 a clean city so the money we spend on police and fire fighter and Public Works 251 00:19:09,22 --> 00:19:12,38 matters more than the street car no one ever said it didn't that is 252 00:19:12,39 --> 00:19:19,18 a fundamental most important ingredient in the success of the city but this is one 253 00:19:19,38 --> 00:19:20,98 part of a strategy and it's a part of 254 00:19:20,99 --> 00:19:25,12 a strategy that when other cities have done it they have seen results the only 255 00:19:25,13 --> 00:19:29,87 controversy about the results in the other city is what exactly caused the success 256 00:19:30,38 --> 00:19:30,57 was 257 00:19:30,58 --> 00:19:34,14 a success just because of the street car was because of the street kind other things 258 00:19:34,25 --> 00:19:39,98 the bottom line is this Mr President we're asking of of our constituents. 259 00:19:41,50 --> 00:19:47,87 Really to in many respects take us at our word. Abandon 260 00:19:48,85 --> 00:19:55,54 common sense abandon logic ignore some of the things that are. 261 00:19:56,70 --> 00:20:01,11 The problems in other communities when it comes to the street car I went through 262 00:20:01,12 --> 00:20:04,29 into all those details I have stuff here from L.R.B. 263 00:20:04,30 --> 00:20:09,41 Of all problems in different communities and none. But there are 264 00:20:09,42 --> 00:20:15,84 a couple of points that I'd like to address one is this idea of this 265 00:20:15,85 --> 00:20:22,32 referendum Mr President. Some on this council have have 266 00:20:22,33 --> 00:20:25,91 indicated Well we have no place for a referendum so we've got 267 00:20:25,92 --> 00:20:30,12 a job to do here and and by God We ought to have the guts to make 268 00:20:30,13 --> 00:20:37,08 a decision well I don't necessarily disagree with that but to give that impression 269 00:20:37,09 --> 00:20:41,38 that some of this council has never supported referendums in the past just isn't 270 00:20:41,79 --> 00:20:48,54 just isn't accurate one of the things that I've heard from constituents. After 271 00:20:48,55 --> 00:20:49,75 they've been fed 272 00:20:49,76 --> 00:20:55,73 a lot of misinformation is that. If there's 273 00:20:55,74 --> 00:21:00,69 a street car line downtown I'm not going to use it and it's not going to benefit me 274 00:21:00,69 --> 00:21:07,65 . And I would say that's far from the truth if development happens 275 00:21:07,66 --> 00:21:08,19 anywhere in 276 00:21:08,20 --> 00:21:14,81 a city it does expand the tax base it does benefit you if it happens downtown 277 00:21:15,81 --> 00:21:22,61 downtown is two percent of the land and paste thirteen percent of the taxes if 278 00:21:22,62 --> 00:21:27,74 there's development around this line it's helping my district it's helping every 279 00:21:27,75 --> 00:21:34,42 district in the city it is paying for potholes it is pain for police service it is 280 00:21:34,43 --> 00:21:39,76 pain for those needed services and helping out with the budget you know there was 281 00:21:40,41 --> 00:21:45,05 there's been this comment out here that if we don't use this finding it will just 282 00:21:45,06 --> 00:21:51,97 go away and knowing the truth not the political rhetoric 283 00:21:52,12 --> 00:21:59,02 but knowing the truth that is just not true and we have documentation where 284 00:21:59,03 --> 00:22:04,09 people have said his time and time again that if we don't approve this project in 285 00:22:04,10 --> 00:22:07,11 there I take it from Milwaukee they're going to allocate it someplace else and 286 00:22:07,12 --> 00:22:12,11 that's just simply not true. The U.S. 287 00:22:12,12 --> 00:22:16,20 F T A in this document and the Journal Sentinel who did 288 00:22:16,21 --> 00:22:21,94 a little fact check specifically said that if we don't use the funding it just sits 289 00:22:21,98 --> 00:22:28,75 I quote it just the grant money just sits there until Congress 290 00:22:29,02 --> 00:22:30,94 acts as I would just 291 00:22:31,29 --> 00:22:36,72 a sure Alderman Davis that silence does not suggest an admission a B. 292 00:22:36,88 --> 00:22:41,89 And some point you have to stop are you doing it the world is flat accept the facts 293 00:22:41,90 --> 00:22:48,10 and simple reality. This community is in such dire fiscal 294 00:22:48,11 --> 00:22:53,62 constraints our police department actually experience for Los we're getting about 295 00:22:53,63 --> 00:22:58,99 forty nine thousand less police hours coverage because of our dire fiscal 296 00:22:59,00 --> 00:23:04,32 constraints in the city we've got brown outs in the fire department. We're getting 297 00:23:04,33 --> 00:23:10,51 complaints that our particles we can't even fill in our potholes. Then go right on 298 00:23:10,52 --> 00:23:15,31 down the line with all the other cutbacks that we've been experiencing in terms of 299 00:23:15,32 --> 00:23:20,97 the delivery of the basic services for the residents in the city of Milwaukee and 300 00:23:20,98 --> 00:23:26,32 we're going to spend millions upon millions of dollars on this particular project 301 00:23:26,33 --> 00:23:31,73 that we just don't have I've got constituents moving out of the city that can't 302 00:23:31,74 --> 00:23:35,68 afford to pay the taxes here anymore you can live in the suburbs and pay 303 00:23:35,69 --> 00:23:40,11 a lot more taxes than you do here and this is just going to be another thing adding 304 00:23:40,12 --> 00:23:46,82 to the to the list so maybe very clear the street car is not the second coming it 305 00:23:46,83 --> 00:23:51,31 is not to sell it as something that it isn't isn't 306 00:23:51,32 --> 00:23:57,43 a fair characterization at the same time the opponents who indicate that this is 307 00:23:57,44 --> 00:24:02,80 the worst thing since Ebola. Is unfair also. There's 308 00:24:02,81 --> 00:24:07,18 a middle ground here as your is in most much of America where people are just 309 00:24:07,19 --> 00:24:12,45 trying to get the factual basis I've come to the issue looking at it as 310 00:24:12,46 --> 00:24:19,19 a cost benefit and is the benefit outweigh the cost yes there is risk but there is 311 00:24:19,20 --> 00:24:21,20 risk in everything in life there's 312 00:24:21,21 --> 00:24:25,86 a risk of getting up and getting your car and driving down here the reality is as 313 00:24:25,87 --> 00:24:32,76 a city do we not take any risk anymore and the issue here is over sixty million 314 00:24:32,77 --> 00:24:39,06 sixty million dollars to the most part cannot be expended for any other purpose but 315 00:24:39,34 --> 00:24:45,48 this specific issue this investment creates jobs hundred second structural jobs 316 00:24:46,02 --> 00:24:52,09 without that there's no jobs there just isn't any. That is 317 00:24:52,15 --> 00:24:56,26 a serious concern to take in place when we have so much unemployment in our city 318 00:24:57,45 --> 00:25:02,40 diversity is also an important component I think these construction jobs have to 319 00:25:02,41 --> 00:25:05,42 reflect our city and not reflect only 320 00:25:05,43 --> 00:25:11,42 a specific genetic group genetic group of one individuals we need to see that 321 00:25:11,66 --> 00:25:15,64 construction jobs are going to the people that are part of our community 322 00:25:17,89 --> 00:25:24,51 so I feel in the terms of the larger perspective of what is best interest of our 323 00:25:24,52 --> 00:25:31,31 city that I will support this project with reservations and with reservations I 324 00:25:31,32 --> 00:25:37,47 indicate this I support the option that will be made at the conclusion of this 325 00:25:37,48 --> 00:25:42,74 meeting. To allow for citizens say have an additional several weeks to gather 326 00:25:42,75 --> 00:25:46,05 signatures I believe that elected officials in 327 00:25:46,06 --> 00:25:50,02 a representative democracy should be able to make that decision I feel really 328 00:25:50,03 --> 00:25:55,40 believe that people should be held accountable but the issue is citizens of good 329 00:25:55,62 --> 00:25:57,40 will are willing to go out 330 00:25:57,50 --> 00:26:02,79 a little of the winter or it's twenty below zero six cases to ascertain and go up 331 00:26:03,33 --> 00:26:08,50 the citizens and go and collect signatures to determine whether or not they support 332 00:26:08,51 --> 00:26:08,95 this to be 333 00:26:08,96 --> 00:26:15,32 a direct legislation referendum we should not cavalierly or carelessly disregard 334 00:26:15,33 --> 00:26:20,17 the wishes of those citizens. The street car plans were adopted on 335 00:26:20,18 --> 00:26:25,01 a nine to six vote the final decision was pushed back one last time to February 336 00:26:25,02 --> 00:26:27,17 tenth. And that's 337 00:26:27,18 --> 00:26:30,58 a look back at some of the important issues decided upon in the most recent common 338 00:26:30,59 --> 00:26:34,20 council cycle in closing here at city hall we lost 339 00:26:34,21 --> 00:26:38,08 a dear member of the family over the holidays Paul Jakob Bobet worked as 340 00:26:38,09 --> 00:26:42,40 a member of the city's historic preservation staff for decades and exemplified by 341 00:26:42,41 --> 00:26:47,45 dedication in his work recognized Paul from meetings of the Historic Preservation 342 00:26:47,46 --> 00:26:52,12 Committee or was often his rolled suggest ways the proposed projects would better 343 00:26:52,13 --> 00:26:55,80 reflect the walkies historic character he left us with 344 00:26:55,81 --> 00:27:00,16 a grander sitting through his work and on January thirteenth zoning neighborhoods 345 00:27:00,17 --> 00:27:02,44 and Development Committee Chair Jim Kolbe took 346 00:27:02,45 --> 00:27:07,81 a moment to reflect. Believe you now with his words the city channel and council 347 00:27:07,82 --> 00:27:12,93 rewind and often warnings before we go on to our next major is one of 348 00:27:13,60 --> 00:27:20,20 a moment of personal privilege I want to say that for some individuals over 349 00:27:20,21 --> 00:27:26,47 the holidays we here at the city lost one of one of our own. Small Jekyl that 350 00:27:27,44 --> 00:27:33,81 spent many years with our Historic Preservation Commission Paul was the extremely 351 00:27:33,82 --> 00:27:39,17 dedicated city employee wealth of information he is an individual here. Who 352 00:27:39,25 --> 00:27:46,21 exemplifies what we find as as. Persons who work for 353 00:27:46,22 --> 00:27:51,26 the city who are true assets to this community he will certainly be missed and we 354 00:27:51,27 --> 00:27:55,60 do us and our condolences out to the to his family and his friends as well to.